Dive Brief:
- Despite ongoing criticism from Republican presidential candidates, who cite them as an example of overreach by the federal government, the Common Core State Standards are likely here to stay.
- At the state level, repeal efforts have largely failed, with only three of the 46 states that adopted the standards replacing them thus far.
- Only two of the GOP's 17 current candidates remain in favor of the standards: former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and current Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
Dive Insight:
For many in the education world, the contentious standards are a welcome shift from a focus on rote memorization to critical thinking and problem-solving. In states where the standards were repealed, they've been replaced with mostly identical ones — a source of frustration for some conservative activists, though more teachers have come out in favor of the standards, as well.
As a result, conservatives have redoubled their efforts at repealing Common Core at the national level, though the more demanding standards are likely to have already made their mark.